Adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool

ABSTRACT

An improved tool for tightening or loosening rotatable work, the tool having no extending long handle that might be in the way when working in cramped or restricted space; the present invention permitting to work alongside a rotatable part, and when used with an extension permitting to do a job either from above or below objects to be worked; and the tool consisting of a pair of adjustable jaws slidable respective to each other for adjusting a size of a mouth therebetween, adjustment being accomplished by a rotatable work gear held rotatably free by one of the jaws, the worm gear engaging a toothed rack on the other jaw.

United States Patent Foley Sept. 16, 1975 ADJUSTABLE JAW RATCHET TYPE DRIVE TOOL Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith [76] Inventor: Donald E. Foley, c/o George Assistant Exammer james Smith Spector, 3615 Woolworth Bldg, 233 Broadway, New York, NY. [57] ABSTRACT 10007 An improved tool for tightening or loosening rotatable [22] Filed: Apr. 15, 1974 work, the tool having no extending long handle that 211 App]. No.: 460,775

US. Cl 81/165; 81/177 A Int. Cl. B25B 13/14 Field of Search 81/5729, 58.2, 165, 170,

81/177 A, DIG. 8

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1952 Coates ..81/165 11/1955 Green ..81/l65 might be in the way when working in cramped or restricted space; the present invention permitting to work alongside a rotatable part, and when used with an extension permitting to do a job either from above or below objects to be worked; and the tool consisting of a pair of adjustable jaws slidable respective to each other for adjusting a size of a mouth therebetween, adjustment being accomplished by a rotatable work gear held rotatably free by one of the jaws, the worm gear engaging a toothed rack on the other jaw.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures vide a drive tool for getting intocrampedor restricted A space for turning a rotatable mechanical part.

Another object is to provide a drive tool which is of I adjustable jaw ratchet type so that it can be sized to file a work intended to be turned.

Yet another object is to provide an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool which when used with an extension permits doing a job either from above or below the work to be turned.

Another object is to provide an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool for including in a tool kit for use on a job, in a shop or around a home.

Other objects are to provide an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily apparent upon a study of the following specifications and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an edge view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an opposite side view of the invention which includes a scale that measures the width of a mouth between the jaws.

FIG. 4 is an edge view of the invention with a ratchet wrench extension.

FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of a modified design of the invention, from the end of an extension handle.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view on line 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 at this time, the reference numeral 10 represents an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool according to the present invnetion, wherein there are a pair of jaw members 11 and 12 which are slidable respective to each other so to adjust a width of a mouth 13 formed therebetween.

One jaw member has an opening 14in which a worm gear 15 is held captive while being rotatably free so to engage a toothed rack 16 on the other jaw member. Thus rotation of the worm gear adjusts the mouth width.

The tool 10 includes a ratchet type drive adaptor or broach fitting 17.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the tool 10 is used with a ratchet wrench extension 18, the tool can do a job either from above or below work.

In FIG. 3, the opposite side of the invention additionally includes a linear scale 19 engraved on one of the jaws. and serves to measure a width of the mouth opening between the jaws. Such scale may be limited to a specific maximum size, so that a different next larger size tool 10 may require to be used when a larger mouth size is needed.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein a modified design of the invention comprises an adjustable jaw ratchet type drive tool 20 in which the jaws can be spread apart or closed toward each other by a mechanism 21 controlled from the end of extension handle 22, so that a person does not have to gamble on presetting ajaw adjustment before placing tool 10 into a remotely confined area.

In tool'20, worm gear 15 is rotatable by being integral witha spiral gear 23 that engages aspiral gear 24 integral'withshaft 25 rotatable inside an adaptor fitting 26 that is integral with jaw .11. The adaptor fitting 26 is cross sectionally square or hexagonal inshape so to be engagable in correspondingly shaped socket opening 27 of a removable handle 28 used in operating tool 10 in a remote confining area similarly tothe tool shown in FIG. 4.

The handle 22 has a wing screw 28 for selectively locking the adaptor fitting 26 in the socket 27.

The end of the shaft 25 protrudes from the end of adaptor fitting 26 and has a square head 29 that is engagable inside a square socket 30 of a shaft 31 freely rotatable inside handle 22. The head 29 and socket 30 are normally maintained disengaged by a compression coil spring 32 between a head 33 of the end of shaft 31 and wall 34 of the handle 22.

In use it is now evident that a person can remotely control the closing of jaws 11 and 12, by simply depressing head 33 against spring 32 so to cause socket 30 of shaft 31 to engage head 29 of shaft 25, so that rotation of head 33 causes gears 23 and 24 to be rotated thus having the worm gear 15 to move jaw 12 respective to the jaw 11.

After the jaws are adjusted, the handle 33 is released thus disengaging shafts 25 and 31, and the tool 10 can be turned by rotating handle 22. Thus the jaws are remotely controlled for opening as well as closing. Wing screw 28 can be used when working downward so to prevent the tool 10 to fall off the handle 22.

Thus a modified design has been provided.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim as follows:

1. An adjustable jaw type wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a longitudinally movable jaw mounted slidably on said fixed jaw, said jaws having opposing parallel gripping surfaces spaced at a variable distance, said fixed jaw including a worm gear rotatable about an axis perpendicular to said surfaces, said gear being mounted in an aperture extending transversely through said fixed jaw, in combination with a rack on said movable jaw, wherein the longitudinal axis of the rack is aligned with the approximate center of the wrench, in further combination with an adaptor fitting having an axis extending at right angles from the intersection of the rack axis and a line equidistant from the gripping surfaces, said intersection being the approximate center of the wrench, said fitting being adapted to receive a rotary driving tool wherein a scale is provided on the fixed jaw adjacent and at right angles to said surfaces, and wherein said fixed jaw has a slot which receives the rack therein for guiding purposes and further wherein said jaws are of equal thickness and said rack are in snug interlocking relationship, wherein said worm gear is integral with a first spiral gear engaging a second spiral gear integral with a first shaft rotatable inside and along an axis of said adaptor fitting.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotary driving tool comprises an elongated handle having a socket at one end, said adaptor being square head shaped for engagement with said handle socket, a transverse wing bolt in said handle selectively securing said adaptor head in said handle socket.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said' first shaft protrudes from an end of said adaptor fitting and has a square head formed on an end thereof, said handle having an axial opening containing a freely rotatable and axially slidable second shaft having a socket on one end thereof engagable with said first shaft head.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein 

1. An adjustable jaw type wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a longitudinally movable jaw mounted slidably on said fixed jaw, said jaws having opposing parallel gripping surfaces spaced at a variable distance, said fixed jaw including a worm gear rotatable about an axis perpendicular to said surfaces, said gear being mounted in an aperture extending transversely through said fixed jaw, in combination with a rack on said movable jaw, wherein the longitudinal axis of the rack is aligned with the approximate center of the wrench, in further combination with an adaptor fitting having an axis extending at right angles from the intersection of the rack axis and a line equidistant from the gripping surfaces, said intersection being the approximate center of the wrench, said fitting being adapted to receive a rotary driving tool wherein a scale is provided on the fixed jaw adjacent and at right angles to said surfaces, and wherein said fixed jaw has a slot which receives the rack therein for guiding purposes and further wherein said jaws are of equal thickness and said rack are in snug interlocking relationship, wherein said worm gear is integral with a first spiral gear engaging a second spiral gear integral with a first shaft rotatable inside and along an axis of said adaptor fitting.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotary driving tool comprises an elongated handle having a socket at one end, said adaptor being square head shaped for engagement with said handle socket, a transverse wing bolt in said handle selectively securing said adaptor head in said handle socket.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first shaft protrudes from an end of said adaptor fitting and has a square head formed on an end thereof, said handle having an axial opening containing a freely rotatable and axially slidable second shaft having a socket on one end thereof engagable with said first shaft head.
 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second shaft has an opposite end proTruding from an opposite end of said handle and which includesan enlarged head, a compression coil spring bearing between said second shaft head and said handle thus normally maintaining said first and second shafts disengaged. 